Georgia elections 2022: Former Augusta mayors endorse candidates

Correction: Candidate Stacy Pulliam was omitted from the list of candidates endorsed by Augusta-Richmond County Committee for Good Government. The article has been updated.

Former Augusta mayors Deke Copenhaver and Bob Young have announced who they are supporting for mayor in the May 24 nonpartisan election.

Copenhaver endorsed Augusta businessman Garnett Johnson for mayor. He announced his endorsement at a news conference Thursday.

Copenhaver, who served from 2005-2014, stressed Johnson's involvement with state business organizations and the importance of the mayor's seat being nonpartisan.

"Having those relationships at the state level are tremendously important and will be hugely beneficial to the city," he said.

Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Johnson to the board of directors of the Georgia Department of Economic Development in 2020. In the 2018 gubernatorial election, 68% of Richmond County voters supported Democrat Stacey Abrams. Johnson donated $15,000 to Kemp's campaign last year but also gave to Abrams in 2018.

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Mayor candidate and former tax commissioner Steven Kendrick has announced  multiple endorsements of his own, including four sitting commissioners.

Kendrick's former position is a partisan position, and he was elected four times as a Democrat. However, Kendrick has not been campaigning for mayor as a Democrat.

Kendrick has endorsements

Kendrick has been endorsed by the area Police Benevolent Association, the Richmond County Property Owners Association and the Augusta-East Georgia Labor Council. He's also backed by four Augusta commissioners – Francine Scott, Jordan Johnson, Bobby Williams and Brandon Garrett.

"Everybody has a right to endorse, but the people who have to work with the mayor toward a common benefit, the commissioner, are saying 'I think I can work with him or her,' " Kendrick said.

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The Richmond County Property Owners Association, a south Augusta-based group, said Kendrick had the needed experience.

“We felt like he had an established relationship with the commission and would be able to hit the ground running,” said Darren Smith, a small-business owner who leads the association.

Kendrick recently released a campaign video touting his support by 15 area pastors, including Anthony Booker of Broadway Baptist, Gregory Fuller of Macedonia Church of Augusta and Richard Peeples Sr. of Faith Outreach Church.

Another former mayor endorses

Mayor Hardie Davis, who ends his eight-year tenure in December, hasn't openly endorsed a candidate, but another former mayor and several other local groups have.

Former Mayor Bob Young is endorsing former Commissioner Marion Williams. Young said the four-term commissioner understood how the local government works.

“He knows how this game is played. He knows the limitations of the powers of the mayor that somebody coming in from the outside will have to learn,” Young said.

Young recalled working with Williams to build commission consensus to end a “stalemate” over the location of the John H. Ruffin Jr. courthouse.

The Augusta-Richmond County Committee for Good Government on Tuesday endorsed Garnett Johnson by a three-to-one margin.

The decades-old group also endorsed Stacy Pulliam, Alvin Mason, Jeremy Johnson and John Clarke in their commission elections. It backed newcomer Katrell Nash for civil and magistrate judge but favored incumbents Ashley Wright and Jesse Stone for superior court judge.

Rep. Brian Prince, D-Augusta, revealed Wednesday he's been endorsed by the labor council as well as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

Also announcing his endorsement of Johnson on Thursday was the Rev. Clarence Moore, the pastor of Good Shepherd Baptist Church, which Johnson attends.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: 2022 Augusta mayoral election endorsements: Ex-mayors push candidates